The paper discusses the features of external and internal migration as one of the constituent elements of the population dynamics of the South of Russia. On the basis of statistical data is a typology of regions of Southern Russia, analyzed the spatial differences and the contribution of migration to population dynamics, characterized by factors that contribute to the specifics of the migration process. We analyze the distribution of flows of refugees and internally displaced persons on the territory of the regions in question. It highlights the characteristics of migration in the demographic development of the largest cities in the subjects of the South of Russia, in the context of urbanization and metropolization.